NBA Watchability Rankings: No. 22 Atlanta Hawks

USA TODAY Sports' Adi Joseph and Sean Highkin will be counting down NBA teams based on watchability for the upcoming 2013-14 seasons. We'll go one team a day, from least-watchable to most, giving you an idea of what to keep an eye out for this season. Today, we continue with the No. 22 Atlanta Hawks:

2012-13 record: 44-38, finished sixth in Eastern Conference, lost in the first round of the playoffs

The Hawks made a run at Dwight Howard and lost, and then let leading scorer Josh Smith leave for the Detroit Pistons without making much of an effort to keep him. So is Atlanta another landmark on the tanking map? Not so fast. General manager Danny Ferry may have radically rebuilt the roster, but he made smart signings to keep the team competitive. In addition to re-signing guards Jeff Teague and Kyle Korver, the Hawks got former Utah Jazz big man Paul Millsap on a terrific contract and fleshed out the bench with low-cost signings like DeMarre Carroll and Elton Brand. He also hired former San Antonio Spurs assistant Mike Budenholzer to replace Larry Drew as head coach, and hiring someone from that organization is never a bad idea. Atlanta won't be competing for a title, but they're still very much in the playoff mix.

WHY YOU CAN'T MISS THEM

A faster pace: Speedy point guard Jeff Teague was re-signed, and German rookie Dennis Schröder can push the ball in transition, too. The Hawks brought back sharpshooter Kyle Korver, and second-year guard John Jenkins figures to see more minutes this season. All of this should translate into a faster-paced, more exciting Hawks squad than years past.

Unsung big man: Al Horford doesn't get the attention former college teammate Joakim Noah does, but he's been one of the best centers in the league since he was drafted in 2007. He's a force at both ends of the floor and can throw down a dunk or two.

Addition by subtraction: For the second year in a row, the Hawks let go of their leading scorer. For the second year in a row, that was the right move. Just as trading Joe Johnson last summer opened up minutes and shots for other players, not re-signing Smith allowed them to bring in Millsap and design an offense featuring fewer questionable jump shots.

JUST TRY TO IGNORE...

Bebe, we hardly knew ye: Lucas "Bebe" Nogueira stole the show on draft night with hair so big he could barely fit his hat on his head. Unfortunately, we won't get to see that on a nightly basis this season, as he opted to stay in Spain.

FOLLOW THE TWEETS

@TeamLou23: Lou Williams missed most of his first season with the Hawks after suffering a torn ACL, but he should make an impact this year off the bench. On Twitter, he jokes around with other players and promotes his (actually not bad) rap mixtapes.

@bochurney: Bo Churney runs HawksHoop, part of ESPN's TrueHoop network. He covers the team from all angles, but you're just as likely to get a hilarious photoshop as you are a statistical breakdown by following him on Twitter.

It will be interesting if Horford can continue his post-ASG domination from 2013 (20 ppg, 11 rpg) without Josh Smith to lean on this year.

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Will LeBron James and the Heat win a third consecutive NBA championship? USA TODAY Sports' Adi Joseph would bet on it. But he doesn't predict Miami will have the best record. Here are his NBA regular-season projections, from worst to best.
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30. Philadelphia 76ers (16-66). Thaddeus Young, left, and Evan Turner will be 25 this season. That makes them veterans (and possible trade bait) for a team that seems bound for a high draft pick.
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26. Milwaukee Bucks (30-52). With the backcourt completely reorganized, Larry Sanders, right, and Ersan Ilyasova will have to carry the Bucks. How far can they go after a playoff bid last season?
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25. Charlotte Bobcats (31-51). Owner Michael Jordan injected some energy into the franchise by announcing a name switch back to the Hornets for next season and adding Al Jefferson and Cody Zeller this offseason. But expect another long year on the court, albeit with some strides.
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24. Boston Celtics (32-50). Rajon Rondo, right, will get his chance at being the solo star after the offseason's overhaul. But first he has to return from a knee injury, and until then, Avery Bradley and company will struggle.
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23. Dallas Mavericks (32-50). Dirk Nowitzki, right, and Shawn Marion are the only players left from the Mavs' 2011 championship team. But they're aging, and the roster around them is questionable.
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20. Toronto Raptors (37-45). Rudy Gay, left, and DeMar DeRozan will have the green light, but can they improve their efficiency enough to boost the Raptors to the playoffs?
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19. Minnesota Timberwolves (37-45). Ricky Rubio, right, is one of the faces of a franchise devastated by injuries the past two seasons. If Derrick Williams can contribute and Rubio and Kevin Love (not pictured) can stay healthy, the playoffs should be the next step.
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18. Washington Wizards (38-44). When Bradley Beal, left, and John Wall played together, the Wizards were excellent last season. With health, this could be a key corner-turning year.
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17. Atlanta Hawks (39-43). The Hawks went with a major overhaul this offseason, but they kept young guards Jeff Teague, left, and John Jenkins, who could blossom in his second year.
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16. New Orleans Pelicans (39-43). They have a new nickname, a new court, new jerseys and a 20-year-old in Anthony Davis ready to be the face of a franchise that could sneak into the playoffs after major offseason upgrades.
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15. Detroit Pistons (41-41). The Pistons should be a playoff team again after a four-year absence. Second-year center Andre Drummond, in an increased role, figures to play a big part.
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13. New York Knicks (43-39). The Knicks brought back much of their veteran roster from last season, including Raymond Felton (2), Tyson Chander (6) and star Carmelo Anthon (7). But is it experienced or just old?
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12. Denver Nuggets (43-39). After jettisoning coach George Karl and losing swingman Andre Iguodala and general manager Masai Ujiri, the Nuggets are a lot less threatening. But the team that posted the fourth-best record in the NBA last season has strength up front with Kenneth Faried, right, and JaVale McGee.
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10. Memphis Grizzlies (47-35). Led by Zach Rand,olph, left, Marc Gasol, center and Tony Allen, the Grizziles have one of the toughest rosters in the NBA but overachieved a little last season.
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9. Brooklyn Nets (49-33). Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett and Jason Terry (from left) are the headliners as the new additions, but the Nets will lean just as much on Deron Williams, Brook Lopez and Joe Johnson (not pictured).
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5. Los Angeles Clippers (55-27). When Chris Paul, right, announced he was staying with fellow face-of-the-franchise Blake Griffin, Clippers fans let out a sigh of relief. When the team added coach Doc Rivers and better wings in the aftermath, championship aspirations began to form for Los Angeles' second team.
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4. Oklahoma City Thunder (58-24). Kevin Durant, right, found out he can't do it all by himself during the playoffs. Luckily, Russell Westbrook should be ready to go for another title push. But the bench is weaker than ever.
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3. Houston Rockets (60-22). How will James Harden, right, and Jeremy Lin play alongside new star Dwight Howard? Expectations are higher than they have been in at least 15 years in Houston.
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2. Miami Heat (61-21). Dwyane Wade, left, Chris Bosh, center, and LeBron James are still around. So yes, the Heat will be excellent. But will they match last season with its 27-game winning streak and amazing finish?
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1. Chicago Bulls (65-17). Why will the Bulls have the best record in the NBA this season? Start with Derrick Rose's return. When he has played, they've excelled, and the roster he returns to after missing last season is better than any other he's played with.
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